34 A HISTORY OF NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS ASSOCIATION 



interest in the tuberculosis campaign far and wide that there 

 developed a demand for organization. As one might have ex- 

 pected, there were at that time many well-meaning people who 

 thought that the formation of an association to combat tubercu- 

 losis would solve the problem automatically. This line of think- 

 ing led to the formation of hundreds of paper organizations dur- 

 ing the period from 1906 to 1912. 



In 1905, at the International Tuberculosis Congress in Paris, 

 an invitation was extended by the official American delegation 

 to hold the next session in the United States in 1908. Dr. 

 Jacobs cabled from Paris to Dr. Welch in Baltimore requesting 

 him to see President Roosevelt and to ask him to present an 

 invitation through the American Embassy in Paris. This was 

 necessary because no invitation could be accepted by the Con- 

 gress unless it came from the head of the Government. The 

 principal addresses expressing this invitation were made by 

 Drs. Henry Barton Jacobs, of Baltimore, Lawrence F. Flick, of 

 Philadelphia, and Henry G. Beyer, Medical Inspector of the 

 United States Navy. The invitation extended by America was 

 accepted by the representatives of the various governments 

 assembled in Paris and it was agreed that the Sixth International 

 Congress should be held in Washington, D. C, in 1908. This 

 program was carried out and the meeting in Washington was 

 considered to be one of the most successful of all the various 

 congresses. (See Chapter VIII.) 



Entirely aside from the contributions to the knowledge of 

 tuberculosis made at the International Congress of 1908, that 

 gathering will live forever in the minds of those who are interested 

 in the campaign against tuberculosis in the United States because 

 of the stimulus it gave to the organization of associations, dis- 

 pensaries, and institutions in every section of the country. In 

 conjunction with the International Congress there was held the 

 largest tuberculosis exhibit ever gathered together. 



Under the skilful leadership of Dr. Farrand, the Association 

 early in its career adopted a policy with reference to local asso- 

 ciations that has made it in no small degree what it is to-day. 

 Instead of a policy of centralized control with a strong National 

 Association and local branches tied completely to the central 



